Thursday, February 7, 2013How '13 commits want to be remembered
By Josh Moyer

Now that Penn State's Class of 2013 is officially in the books, we decided to ask the commits about their future with the Nittany Lions.

NittanyNation posed the same question to everyone: How do you think -- or hope -- your class will be remembered in four or five years?

Here's what they had to say:

QB Christian Hackenberg (Fork Union, Va./Fork Union), four stars, No. 15 in ESPN 150: "I hope it's a class that we see was modeled after great kids, hardworking kids and great football players. Hopefully, we'll be remembered as one of the best classes to ever come here."

OT Andrew Nelson (Hershey, Pa./Hershey), four stars: "You never know, but I'm hoping this class will be revered just as highly as the 2012 class because those guys -- I have so much respect for those guys, and I look up to them so much. I hope we can be revered in the same way because they were part of the team when the sanctions came out. But we're the one who decided to commit despite the sanctions, too. We're the ones who had the choices to go anywhere but decided we wanted to do something special at this university. I think our class can show the world what Penn State really is."

LB Zayd Issah (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), three stars: "I'd say, hopefully, we'll be remembered as one that would help us compete with the best teams in the country."

WR DaeSean Hamilton (Stafford, Va./Mountain View), four stars: "I think we'll be remembered as the class that committed and was loyal to the school. We weren't commits who turned our back on the school just because of the troubles. Hopefully, by the fifth year, we'll be playing in bowl games and BCS bowls."

OG Brendan Mahon (Randolph, N.J./Randolph), four stars, No. 215 in ESPN 300: "This class is really a special class, but it's not just about us. We look up to Michael Mauti and [Michael] Zordich. They were really role models to us. We're high-caliber guys and had offers around the country, but we looked up to those guys. And once they said what they had to say, we agreed with it and got on board. But, in the next five years, I hope our class -- with two years of bowl eligibility -- I hope we can do big things. I think this era of Penn State will be remembered forever."

DE Garrett Sickels (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional), four stars: "To be honest, I haven't thought about that. I feel that, to be remembered and to have an impact four or five years down the road, that's based on what you do. And I think the whole team -- everyone -- I think we can't make that prediction right now. We have to make it happen and then let people have their own judgments. But we know what we have to do."

LB Brandon Bell (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest), three stars: "I hope this class can be remembered for helping get Penn State out of the hole. With the drama it's been through the last year, we want to come out strong for the next couple years."

DE Curtis Cothran (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), three stars: "I think we'll be known as a close-knit group of guys who stuck through the scandal and everything, stayed to what we believed in and went to the school we wanted to."

OG Tanner Hartman (Lynchburg, Va./Liberty Christian), two stars: "I think it's cool because, with Coach O'Brien, we're kind of his first class. And that's special. We're the first class since the sanctions, so I think just the fact that we picked PSU, it just shows what PSU stands for -- even with those sanctions. And, really, even the players that stuck with it and didn't transfer out, those were the guys who are probably more memorable because they set the tone for us."

DT Parker Cothren (Hazel Green,. Ala./Hazel Green), two stars: "I hope we're remembered as winners. I hope we come in and win as many games as we can -- hopefully all of them. I'd like to win all of them."

S Kasey Gaines (Loganville, Ga./Grayson), three stars: "Our class doesn't deserve anymore glory than any other class. I'm just thankful for the fans still supporting us."